Collapsible crate or coop



Jan. 6, 1925. 1,521,936

w. A. FADDEN ET AL l COLLAPSIBLE CRATE 0R COOP Filed Sept. 24, 1923 3Sheets-Sheet l Q Y n Q WITNESSES l N N N INVENTORS WA Fadda A TTORNE YSJan, 6', 1925; 1 1,521,936"

w. A. FADDEN E'r AL coLLAPsIBLE CRATE on coo? Filed sept. 24. 1923 ssheets-sheet s A TTORNE YS Patented Jan.A 6, 1925.

, UNITED @STATES `iivAImleN A. FADDEN AND Homann. N IELsoN, or BUTTE,MONTANA.

GOLLAPSIBLE CRATE 0R COOP.

l.Application led September 24, 1923. Serial No. 664,574.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, VARREN A. FAD- DEN and HoLGER B. NIELsoN, citizensof the United Sta-tes, and residents of Butte, in the county ofSilverbow and State of Montana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Collapsible Crates or Coops, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to an improvement in collapsible crates or coopsespecially designed and'adapted for use as a poultry coop for shippingpurposes.

The ob`ect of the invention is to provide a crate o this character whichis of simple, durable and compact construction and adapted to be quickly'collapsed or folded and as quickly opened or extended and which is ofall metal construction and of such design and organization as to beclean, wholesome and sanitary even after long continued use.

Another object is to provide a crate of this character and having theseadvantages and which is rigid in unfolded or extended position so as tofacilitate handling, which presents no obstructions or projectionsbeyond its top, sides or bottoni whereby the coops are adapted to bestacked during shipping and which eliminates from its construction,bolts, nuts, screws and other loose and threaded parts liable to becomedetached or lost and to prevent ready and easy folding or unfolding ofthe coop.

Another object is to provide a crate of this character having embodiedtherein and organized therewith releasable fastening devices forsecurely and firmly though releasably holding the parts in folded orunfolded positions and for automatically and releasably securing thedoor of the crate in closed position.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of acrate of this character and having the Vadvantages above mentioned andwhich is light in Weight and adapted to be manufactured at acomparatively slight expense fromv materials and with facilitiesordinarily available.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novelfeatures of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts whichwill be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed ou inthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsform-` infr part of this specicatlon, and in which: Figure 1 is aperspective. view illustrat ing the preferred embodiment of the inven-.tion and showing the same in extended or unfolded position and readyfor use;

Figure 2 is a view, showing the same in folded position, certain of theparts, such asv the 'bottom plate and wires of the side and end wallsbeing omitted for the sake of v clearness in illustration;

Figure 3 is a view in' transverse section; Figure 4 is a fragmentarysectional view,

illustrating the locking device for the sliding bar of the crate; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View, illustrating the action ofthe foldable sections of the side walls.

" Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration isshown the preferred embodiment of thefinvention, the numeral 10designates generally the bottom `of the crate and as shown this bottomcomprises an imperforate bottom plate 11 of corrugated sheet metal anda. framework made upof parallel longitudinal ba'rs 12 and paralleltransverse bars 13, the transverse bars resting on the tops of thelongitudinal bars and being riveted or otherwise secured thereto, asindicated at 14:. The bars 12 and 13 are composed of flat pieces ofmetal andthe ends of these bars 12 and 13 project beyond the bottomplate 11 and preferably are upwardly deflected, these ends terminatingin apertured pivot ears designated at 15 and 16, respectively. When thusconstituted, the framework made up of the bars 12 and 13'are adapted tofirmly and securely support the late 11 though if desired this plate maye welded or suitably secured to these bars.

End walls/are provided and are of identical construction, each end wallincluding a frame designated generally at 17 and made up of upper andlower horizontal rods, designated at 18 and 19 respectively and verticalrods, designated at 20. The lowerrod 19 of each end vvall is rotatablymounted in the apertured pivot ears 15 provided at its end of the bars12 of the framework of the bottom. A plurality of cross wires 21 securedto the vert-ical bars 20 completes the structure of the end walls. It isto be understood that the cross wires aswell as the bars which make upthe frame 17 are preferably welded to the parts with which they areassociated, the vertical -bars being welded orotherwise suitably securedto. the

upper and lower bars 18 and the4 cross wires.

21 being welded to the vertical bars 20. With the end walls soconstructed and mounted they are adapted to be positioned vertically asshown in Figure 1 or to be folded down against and into substantialparallelism with the bottom Figure 2.

Side walls, designated generally at 22, are

Aas shown in provided and are of identical construction accidentaldisplacement of the rod 23. v .Preferably the uprights 24 are secured tothe rod 23 by welding after these parts have been assembled. Eachupright 24 is made up of a pair of sections 25 and 26, the section 25being the lower section and the section 26 being the upper section. Asshown in the drawings portions of the sections 25 and 26 overlap andsuch overlapping portions are pivotally connected, as at 27. Means isprovided for releasably holding the sections 25 and 26 in extendedposition and preferably such means comprises a slidable tubular band 28,one suchband being provided for each pair of sections 25 and 26. Whenthe sections `are extended the bands 28 are slid down over theoverlapping portions of such section and serve to prevent collapsingthereof. With the bands 28 so positioned as shown in Figure 1 they arefrictionally engaged ,with the portions of thesections 25 and 26 withwhich they coact and are thus held against displacement. If desiredshoulders may be provided on theouter faces of the sections 25 and 26 toprevent or limit the downward movement of the bands 28 thuscomplementing the action of the frictional engagement in preventingdownward. displacement of the bands. A plurality of longitudinallyextending wires 29 are provided and are welded or otherwise suitablysecured Ato the uprights 24, certain of such wires being welded orotherwise suitably secured to the section 25 of such uprights and theremainder of such wires being similarly secured to such upper section 26of such uprights. A single longitudinal wire 30 is provided and iswelded or otherwise suitably secured to the bands 28 and serves first asan element of the side wall with which it is associated and second., asa convenient operating means for all of the bands 28. The upper end ofeach section 26 of each upright 24 has integrally formed therewith anapertured pivot ear or eye 31 and such eyes ot' the uprifrhts of eachside wall are longitudinally alined for a purpose which will presentlappear.

A top, deslgnated generally at 35 is provided and includesv arectangular frame having side bars 36 pivotally mounted in the eyes 31of the uprights 24 and having end bars. 37 integral with or suitablysecured to the side bars 36. Spaced longitudinal bars 38 and39 arearranged in between and parallel to the bars 36 and are welded orotherwise suitably securedto th'e end bars 37. A plurality of crosswires 40 extend between the side bars 36 .and are welded or otherwise isuitably secured to these side bars and. to the longitudinal bars 38 and39. l'

Certain of the cross wires/40l are cutaway between the longitudinal rods38 and 39 at the center' of the top to provide an opening through whichaccess may be had to the interior of the crate or coop and for closingthis opening, a sliding door or closure designated generally at 45 isprovided. This closure includes side rods 46 and 47 and a vplurality ofcross wires 48 welded to the side rods 46 and 47 of the bar are formed Iwith integral eyes 49 and 50 respectively, the said eyes slidablyembracing certain of the cross wires 40 of the top so that the door issupported for sliding movement and is adapted to be positioned to closethe opening provided in the top or to leave the same entirely free andunobstructed las desired. Means is provided for securing the door thusconstituted in closed position and includes a pair of hooks 51 pivotallymounted on the longitudinal rod 38 cooperable with -the side bar 49 ofthe door and also includes an automatic locking device, designatedgenerally at 52. The locking device 52 includes a bar 53-having a coil54 by which it is mounted upon one of the side rods 36 of the top. lfdesired the coil may be constructed of resilient metal, one terminal ofthe coil Mill being secured to the rods 36 and the opposite terminalbeing integral' with or secured to the bar 53 and the tendency of thecoil being to swing the bar 53 downwardly in a clockwise direction asviewed in Figure 4. In any event the coil serves to mount the bar forswinging movement on the slide rod 36 of the frame. At-the end of thebar 53 opposite-the coil 54 a loop55 is provided and embraces thelongitudinal rod 39 of the frame, and serves to limit the movement ofthe bar 53 and guide it to its proper movements. Adjacent the loop aU-shaped latch 56 is formed and as shown at 51 one of the legs oftheU-shaped portion is constituted by a portion of the loop 55. Wyhenthe door is in closed position the U-shaped portion drops down over theside barA 46 of the door and holds the same in closed position. ln orderto release the4 door it is only necessary to reach through the crosswires 40 of the top and lift the bar 53 upwardly so as to disengagc theU-shaped latch 56 from the bar 46 ot' the door frame. Whereupon thehooks 51 having been previously released the door may be4 readilyopened. When the door is moved to open position the bar 53 rides on theside bar 46 of the door so that when the door is again moved to closedposition `the U-shaped loop 56 automatically drops into engagement withthe side rod 46 as shown in Figure 4.

Each end bar 37 of the door carries a pair of hooks or other fasteningmembers 60 which are engageable with the horizontal bars 18 of the endwalls for holding the end walls in upright position when the crate is inextended or unfolded position. Each end bar 37 also carries at itscenter a single elongated hook member 61 which as shown in Figure 2 isadapted to engage or coact with the lower horizontal bars 19 of the endwalls to hold the parts of the crate collapsed or in folded position.

lVhen the crate is folded up Jfor return shipment or for other purposesthese parts are positioned as shown in Figure 2. l/Vhen it is desired tounfold the crate-the resilient hooks 61 are released from theirengagementwiththe horizontal bars 19, the top 35 is ygrasped and raisedor moved directly away and upwardly from the bottom, thesections of theside walls unfolding and coming into vertical alinement to accommodatethis movement of the top, and the end walls are then swung upwardly tovertical position.

At this point it .is to be noted that the construction and arrangementof parts is such that the upper horizontal bars 18 of the end walls abutthe inner portions of the end bars 37 of the top, these end wallsfitting in be'- tween the side bars 36 of the top and the longitudinalrods 38 being offset from the end rods 37 or secured to the topmostportions o'f these rods in order to provide for the necessary clearancefor the upper horizontal rods 18 of the end walls. The hooks 60 areengaged with the horizontal rods 18 to secure the end walls in positionand the sections of the side walls are held against collapsing bysliding the bands 28 down over the overlapping portions of the sections25 and 26 of the uprights 24. ln order to fold up the crate the hooks 60are released from their engagement with the bars 18 and the ends areswung downwardly in substantial parallelism to the bottom; t-he wires`80 are then grasped and pulled upwardly so asv to move the bands 28 upon the sections 26 of the uprights and out of engagement with Atheoverlapping portions of the sections 25 and 26. The top 25 is thenpressed downwardly andthe sections of the side walls folded inwardlyinto substantial. parallelism to the bottom, the uprights 24 ot thesections breaking or pivoting about their joints 27 lor this purpose.This brings the top 35 into close proximity tothe bottom andveiects acompact folding or collapsing of the crate so as to render the samesusceptible of convenient transportation or shipment since it occupies aminimum amount of space and presents a lightweight article.

It is to be noted that the crate being constructed of all metal isentirely sanitary and embodies no Wood or other parts likely to absorbwater or odors or to afford a breeding place for bacteria or vermin. Thecrate may be readily folded up or collapsed and is quickly set up orunfolded, and when unfolded and ready for use presents an exltremelyrigid, strong and durable coop. The bottom plate 11 provides aconvenient panel upon which the name and address of the owner of thecoop and the person to whom it is to be shipped may be readily impressedor otherwise embossed.

lV e claim:

1. In a collapsible crate of the class dedescribed, aL bottom, end wallspivotally mounted on the bottom, side walls pivotally mounted on thebottom, each of the side walls comprisinga longitudinal lower barpivotally connected to the bottom, a plurality oi'l sectional uprights,the sections of each upright being pivotally connected, slidable tubularlocking bands eooperable with the overlapping portions of the sectionsof the uprights Jfor holding the same in extended position, a pluralityof longitudinal wires secured to the uprights, a single such wiresecured to said bands,"a top having side bars pivotally mounted on theupper ends of the upper sections of the uprights, and having end barscarrying releasable fastening means cooperable with the end walls.

2. In a collapsible crate of the class described, a bottom, end wallspivotally mounted on the bottom. side walls pivotally mounted on thebottom. yeach of the side walls comprising a longitudinal lower barpivotally connected to the bottom, va plurality of sectional uprights.the sections of each upright being pivotally connected, and a top havingside bars pivotally mounted on the upper ends of the upper sections ofthe uprights.

3. ln a collapsible crate ot' the class described, a bottom, end wallshaving a frame including bottom rods pivotally connected to the bottom,foldable side walls pivotally connected to said bottom, a top pivotallyconnected to the rside walls and carrying releasable fastening meanscooperable withthe end walls for holding the same upright in theextended position of the crate and also `carryino other releasablefastening means cooperaile with the bottom rods of the end walls forholding the parts of the crate in folded position.

4. In a collapsible crate of the class described, a bottom including :lbottom plate and a framework underlying the bottom plate aifd consistingof longitudinal and transverse bars, said bars having their endsprojecting beyond the bottom plate, and side and end walls pivotallymounted on the projecting ends of said transverse and longi tudinal barsrespectively.

5. .ln a collapsible crate of the class described, a bottom made up of abottom plate and a framework underlying the bottom plate and collapsibleside and end Walls pivotally mounted on said framework.

G. A crate having a top including longitudinal rods and cross Wires,adoor having 20 side rods and cross. Wires, the side rods having'loopsformed at their ends embracing certain of the cross Wires of the top,and a locking device including a bar p'ivotally mounted on one of thelongitudinal rods of the top and having' a guide at its opposite endsCoacting with another longitudinal rod and having a U-shaped keeperadjacent thev guide cooperable with one of the side rods of the door.

WARRENA. FADDEN HOLGER B. NIELSUN.

